Corrected message. From: Ruth Ryals <rryals@comcast.net> Date: Thursday, December 17, 2020 at 1:15 PM To: "neighbors@buenavistasocialclub.org" <neighbors@buenavistasocialclub.org> Subject: FW: invitation to meeting, and seeking input on time There is a long history behind this invitation, but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. I will, of course attend (whenever it is set up), but wonder if a couple of you want to join me? See some of the history below the invitation and rewritten (and far more friendly) Policy Order. Ruth RuthNorth Commons <NorthCommons@groups.io> ********************************************************************* Begin forwarded message: From: "Nolan, Patricia" <pnolan@cambridgema.gov> Date: December 16, 2020 at 11:30:11 AM EST To: chuckhinds@msn.com, beth100springstreet@gmail.com, info@naeastcambridge.org, WellingtonHarrington@gmail.com, area4neighborhoodcoalition@gmail.com, nancyryan4@comcast.net, arleenh@hotmail.com, jaking@mit.edu, cummings@cityresearch.com, schambers@margaretfullerhouse.org, cambridgeportna@gmail.com, fritzdonov@aol.com, MrLJAdkins@msn.com, carolyn_shipley@yahoo.com, psinclair@agassiz.org, jlipshaw@gmail.com, hsolorzano@comcast.net, rryals@comcast.net, irallen@comcast.com, douglas_p_brown@yahoo.com, fieldjuma@gmail.com, NCSC-mail-owner@yahoogroups.com, rclarey@aol.com, jatennis@comcast.net, Suzanne.Blier@harvardsquareneighborhood.org, inman.square.neighborhood@gmail.com, info@abettercambridge.org, cambridgeneighborhoods@gmail.com Cc: "Scarlett, Michael" <mscarlett@cambridgema.gov> Subject: invitation to meeting, and seeking input on time  Dear Neighborhood group leader: I hope you are well and ready to weather this incoming snow! I’m writing to get your input on planning for a City Council committee meeting of the Neighborhood Long Term Planning, Public Facilities, Arts and Celebrations committee. [NLTP]. I am sending this email to all leaders of neighborhood groups listed on the city’s website. If there are other groups that should be included, please let me know . You likely know that a city council order was passed about reaching out to neighborhood groups [text of the order is below] with the goals of convening groups to hear from them on how to support groups. I acknowledge that the initial order was viewed as problematic, and many people saw it as wanting to control or criticize groups. I hope that in reading the language of the order that passed you will understand that the intent is not to control or force any particular course of action – it is to support, appreciate and celebrate the positive contributions of neighborhood groups. My intent is for you all to be heard. The topic of the meeting will to listen to all of you on whether there are ways you would propose for how the City might better support neighborhood groups and strengthen community bonds. My goal for this meeting is to have all community groups represented and be part of the meeting. I plan to run the meeting as a roundtable discussion during which we can all hear the ideas that are brought forward. That means you all would not be limited to speaking during public comment – instead you would be participants (panelists in zoom lingo) during the meeting. Neighborhood groups are a vital part of Cambridge’s democracy and I hope we can come away from this hearing with tangible ways for the City to better support these groups. We still have to work out how to accommodate everyone – the thought is that each group would be asked to have from 1-3 people participating, with any additional group members invited to listen. I am hoping to hold this meeting relatively soon after the new year and before we pick a date, it would be good to know what times would work best to ensure as many people are able to join as possible. Please respond to this email with the days of the week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and time of day that would work in general for you - between 10 am and 8 pm (start at 6 pm). We will review the responses and then come back with a poll for some dates that work for city staff availability – aiming for late January or beginning of February. I look forward to hearing from you and working together. Please note that I have copied my aide Michael Scarlett on this email. Please feel free to contact him at any time with questions. Sincerely, Patty Patricia Nolan Cambridge City Council Chair, NLTP committee She/her/hers 857-270-0256 mobile Aide: Michael Scarlett He/him/his mscarlett@cambridgema.gov 617-349-9152 TEXT of Policy Order passed November 30: WHEREAS:The City of Cambridge has many community and neighborhood organizations formed to discuss and advocate for issues that impact their neighborhood and the city as a whole; and WHEREAS:These groups provide effective ways for residents to have a voice in the shaping of their neighborhood and the larger Cambridge community; and WHEREAS:These groups are formed and run by volunteers who donate their time to provide an opportunity for residents to connect with each other, and to have a voice in city affairs; and WHEREAS:These groups have membership and boards that are open to all, and yet may not represent the diverse demographics of their neighborhood, and WHEREAS:These groups are recognized by the City of Cambridge, with their input being sought in some arenas, such as curb cut applications and development proposals and in practice many city boards and agencies seek their input for planning purposes, since they seek to represent the neighborhood, and WHEREAS:These groups can be important and vital to organizing and advocating, and the groups and the city should do all they can to ensure groups are welcoming and all residents feel comfortable taking part in meetings or in online conversations and WHEREAS:The groups spend their own time and sometimes their own funds to do outreach, and/or provide food or child care at meetings to enable the participation of all residents, including families with young children or other home responsibilities; now therefore be it ORDERED:That the City Council go on record appreciating many neighborhood groups' efforts and the tireless work of many group volunteers, while also recognizing that there has been real pain caused by some groups and all groups have room for improvement; and further be it ORDERED:That the Neighborhood and Long Term Planning Committee of the City Council host a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen community bonds and understand whether the city could better support neighborhood organizations; and further be it ORDERED:That the meeting be scheduled with outreach to all existing neighborhood groups with the announced agenda including asking each group what they might want to learn from each other and what they might want to share as best practice so all neighborhood groups which have had success in any areas – recruitment, outreach, engagement, etc. - have an opportunity to share success as well as challenges. ************************************************************ https://www.cambridgeday.com/2020/12/01/passing-orders-resulting-from-octobe... https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/cambridge-chronicle-tab/2020/11/25/op-ed-c... Here is the letter itself copied from the Chronicle: OP-ED: Cambridge neighborhood groups respond to 'problematic' policy order Cambridge Chronicle Editor's note: The following is an open letter by various Cambridge neighborhood groups (listed at bottom) sent to Cambridge councilors and shared with the Chronicle. We, the governing bodies and leaders of the Cambridge Neighborhood Groups listed below, write to voice our shared concerns with Policy Order 4. This policy order sadly is taking a one-sided view of one situation in one neighborhood group and extrapolating from it. We as neighborhood groups have long underscored the importance of having inclusive, representative neighborhood associations. We believe that neighborhood associations are a vital part of city life and have a meaningful role as independent organizations that build community and advocate for the neighborhoods. We realize that our neighborhood associations themselves do not always reflect the demographics of the communities they serve, but as in the past, remain committed to demographic diversity. That said, we hope you recognize that diversity and inclusion will not appear only because of changes to rules and regulations, as suggested in this order. This is ongoing work for everyone, and we are small grassroots organizations run by volunteers. The references to any neighborhood group, including East Cambridge Planning Team, in the policy order are inappropriate; they distract from the larger issues here. ECPT is the oldest neighborhood association in the city, and in our observation, it has been fairly and thoughtfully run, including during the recent events, which are now being mischaracterized. The ECPT board member who made the offending comment has apologized and resigned, the board has apologized, and ECPT has taken further action to calm this down, including changing its listserv from a discussion group to an announcement-only platform. All references to the ECPT and/or this one specific incident should be deleted from the policy order. Most leaders of neighborhood groups have no way to provide the city with demographics. Our work is often online and we may never see some of the individuals. We don't know where they live, their ethnicities, or whether they own or rent. We do not think our members would take kindly to us asking for those details. Our meetings are open to all; in fact, we beg folks to come. We spread information far and wide, try to let folks know what is happening and allow them to comment on those happenings. Some of us don't even have a formal way to sign a letter saying our membership stands for this or that. True, we sometimes take an unscientific poll, and many speak up, but at the end of the day any authority our leaders have garnered comes from being seen as honest brokers. We do not claim to represent anyone but ourselves, although we do our best to think of the interests of all of our neighbors. All of our neighborhood groups would love to attract a wider range of membership, more non-white members, more renters, but we cannot force anyone to be interested in what we do or make the time for it. Alas, it is left to those of us who show up to do this largely thankless work to improve our neighborhoods, provide a platform for discussion, and help in larger and smaller ways to make the city more livable. We hope that you recognize the hundreds of hours of volunteer time it takes to run neighborhood associations, and that the city will recognize our intention to be positive and productive partners in the enormous project of community building. We ask that this conversation stay focused on the work of building exemplary neighborhood associations. While we may ask for the city's help on occasion, it is important that we be independent of the city, as we sometimes represent our members against them. We act in the best traditions of our First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. It is problematic that the policy order claims the city has the right to tell us specifically how to do so. We want to come to this conversation as independent city bodies, not combatants. The governing bodies (boards and/or executive committees) of each of our neighborhood groups each have voted to support this letter. We and other neighborhood groups may also be writing to you separate letters of concern. Cordially, Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods East Cambridge Planning Team Harvard Square Neighborhood Association Inman Square Neighborhood Association Mid-Cambridge Neighborhood Association, Presiding Officer Porter Square Neighborhood Association